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Head-to-head Updated

Bridgestone Blizzak WS90 vs Pirelli Ice Zero 2 — Compared

Relative Score (0–100): the weighted average of the categories below, each 60% road tests and 40% owner reviews (comfort 40/60). Based on 1 + 6 road tests and 21 + 3 owner reviews. How we score

Too close to call: Blizzak WS90 68, Ice Zero 2 67.

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Pirelli Ice Zero 2
Tire BPirelli

Ice Zero 2

Winter

± 6

Tests 78 · 6 tests Owners 57 · 3 reviews

Best test result: #1 of 16 in 2021 Studless and Studded Winter Tyre Test (snow traction)

Category by category

Relative Score per category, 0–100. Open “Why this score” for the tests and owner ratings behind it.

  1. 73

    Dry

    Blizzak WS90 +1
    72
    Why this score
    SourceBlizzak WS90Ice Zero 2
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 1 / 4 tests8582
    Reviews found online5557

    Blizzak WS90: 60% × 85 + 40% × 55.1 = 73

    Ice Zero 2: 60% × 81.8 + 40% × 57.2 = 72

  2. 67

    Wet

    Ice Zero 2 +6
    73
    Why this score
    SourceBlizzak WS90Ice Zero 2
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 1 / 5 tests6581
    Reviews found online6961

    Blizzak WS90: 60% × 65.3 + 40% × 69 = 67

    Ice Zero 2: 60% × 80.9 + 40% × 61.1 = 73

  3. 73

    Snow

    Blizzak WS90 +2
    71
    Why this score
    SourceBlizzak WS90Ice Zero 2
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 1 / 4 tests6976
    Reviews found online7963

    Blizzak WS90: 60% × 69.1 + 40% × 79.2 = 73

    Ice Zero 2: 60% × 75.5 + 40% × 63.3 = 71

  4. 61

    Comfort

    Blizzak WS90 +3
    58
    Why this score
    SourceBlizzak WS90Ice Zero 2
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 1 / 2 tests6872
    Reviews found online5650

    Blizzak WS90: 40% × 68.5 + 60% × 56 = 61

    Ice Zero 2: 40% × 71.6 + 60% × 49.7 = 58

  5. 63

    Noise

    Ice Zero 2 +3
    66
    Why this score
    SourceBlizzak WS90Ice Zero 2
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 1 / 4 tests7065
    Reviews found online52≈ 67 (est.)

    Blizzak WS90: 60% × 70.5 + 40% × 51.7 = 63

    Ice Zero 2: 60% × 64.9 + 40% × 66.6 (est.) = 66

    No owner ratings of noise for Ice Zero 2. The owner half is the owners’ average (67): owners’ noise ratings barely follow the road tests, so the tests say nothing about how owners would rate it.

  6. 61

    Treadwear

    Blizzak WS90 +5
    56
    Why this score
    SourceBlizzak WS90Ice Zero 2
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 63 (est.)≈ 60 (est.)
    Reviews found online5849

    Blizzak WS90: 60% × 63.2 (est.) + 40% × 57.8 = 61

    Ice Zero 2: 60% × 60.2 (est.) + 40% × 49.1 = 56

    No road tests of treadwear for Blizzak WS90. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.35).

    No road tests of treadwear for Ice Zero 2. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.35).

  7. 62

    Handling (owners)

    Blizzak WS90 +8
    54
    Why this score
    SourceBlizzak WS90Ice Zero 2
    Reviews found online6254
  8. –

    Efficiency

    No comparison
    70
    Why this score
    SourceBlizzak WS90Ice Zero 2
    Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 3 tests–70
Scores at a glance
CategoryBridgestone Blizzak WS90Pirelli Ice Zero 2
Relative Score 68 67
Dry 73 72
Wet 67 73
Snow 73 71
Comfort 61 58
Noise 63 66
Treadwear 61 56
Handling (owners) 62 54
Efficiency – 70

Higher is better. The Relative Score follows your weights below; category scores do not change.

Weight the categories that matter to you

Wet grip starts at “Important”. Treadwear starts at “Neutral” here: road tests measured it for at most one of the two tires, so it rests on owner reviews. Move the sliders and the scores update instantly.

Important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Less important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Less important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Neutral
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Less important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Not important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost

Only one of the two tires has a score here, so this weight changes nothing in the head-to-head.

Recomputed
Headline score
± 7

Blizzak WS90

± 6

Ice Zero 2

Only categories both tires have data for count toward the headline score.

The professional test results behind the scores

Per discipline: the average % of the best tire over every test both tires were in, and how many of those tests each one won. “Different tests” rows compare results from separate tests.

DisciplineCategoryBlizzak WS90Ice Zero 2ΔHead-to-head
Dry Braking Dry 90% #6/10 · 2026 Tire Rack All-Weather vs Winter Tyre Test 97% #9/14 · 2025 Friction and Studded Winter Tyre Test – Different tests
Wet Braking Wet 79% #7/10 · 2026 Tire Rack All-Weather vs Winter Tyre Test 100% #8/14 · 2025 Friction and Studded Winter Tyre Test – Different tests
Ice Braking Snow 100% #6/10 · 2026 Tire Rack All-Weather vs Winter Tyre Test 78% #13/14 · 2025 Friction and Studded Winter Tyre Test – Different tests
Ice Traction Snow 100% #6/10 · 2026 Tire Rack All-Weather vs Winter Tyre Test 68% #4/8 · 2026 Vi Bilagare Studded Tyre Test – Different tests
Snow Braking Snow 70% #7/10 · 2026 Tire Rack All-Weather vs Winter Tyre Test 99% #9/14 · 2025 Friction and Studded Winter Tyre Test – Different tests
Snow Handling Snow 85% #6/10 · 2026 Tire Rack All-Weather vs Winter Tyre Test 97% #5/8 · 2026 Vi Bilagare Studded Tyre Test – Different tests
Snow Handling (tester's mark) Snow 55% #6/10 · 2026 Tire Rack All-Weather vs Winter Tyre Test 90% #16/18 · 2026 Teknikens Värld Studded, Nordic and Central European Winter Tyre Test – Different tests
Comfort (tester's mark) Comfort 94% #10/10 · 2026 Tire Rack All-Weather vs Winter Tyre Test 60% #12/18 · 2026 Teknikens Värld Studded, Nordic and Central European Winter Tyre Test – Different tests
Noise (tester's mark) Noise 91% #8/10 · 2026 Tire Rack All-Weather vs Winter Tyre Test 80% #2/8 · 2026 Vi Bilagare Studded Tyre Test – Different tests
Also published by the testers (not in the score)
Road Rating (tester's mark) Other 79% #9/10 · 2026 Tire Rack All-Weather vs Winter Tyre Test 70% #12/18 · 2026 Teknikens Värld Studded, Nordic and Central European Winter Tyre Test – Different tests
Overall Ranking Overall #8/10 2026 Tire Rack All-Weather vs Winter Tyre Test #4/6 2027 NAF Motor Studded Winter Tire Test R17 – Different tests

Pros, cons & observations

Themes extracted from owner reviews found online — not the opinion of TireWheelGuide.

Tire A Blizzak WS90

Pros

  • Outstanding grip and acceleration on ice and hard-packed snow
  • Excellent braking performance in hazardous winter conditions
  • Strong capability in slush and deep snow

Cons

  • Increased road noise during highway driving
  • Less responsive or 'softer' handling feel on dry pavement
  • Potential for minor rubbing depending on vehicle fitment
All owner themes in the Blizzak WS90 review

Tire B Ice Zero 2

Pros

  • Very good traction and performance on snow
  • Reasonably quiet for a studded winter tire
  • Adequate performance on wet and salty roads

Cons

  • Dangerous slipping on ice at low speeds in cold climates
  • Strong, intrusive howling noise at speeds above 95 km/h
  • Poor overall handling compared to competing studded winter tires like the Nokian Hakkapeliitta
All owner themes in the Ice Zero 2 review

Specs side by side

Attribute A · Bridgestone Blizzak WS90 B · Pirelli Ice Zero 2
CategoryWinterWinter
Vehicle typePassenger Car / CrossoverPassenger Car / Crossover
Sizes available45—
Rim diameters15″ – 19″—
Tread depth11/32″—
SidewallBlackwall—
Max pressure44 psi—

Which one should you actually buy?

Bridgestone Blizzak WS90

Pirelli Ice Zero 2

Too close to call: Bridgestone Blizzak WS90 and Pirelli Ice Zero 2 are within 2 points overall. Bridgestone Blizzak WS90 is stronger on handling, treadwear and comfort. Pirelli Ice Zero 2 is stronger on wet and noise.

Pick tire A You enjoy sharp, responsive handling

Bridgestone Blizzak WS90 scores 62 vs 54 on handling.

Pick tire B Your priority is wet-weather safety

Pirelli Ice Zero 2 scores 73 vs 67 on wet.

Pick tire A You want the longest tread life

Bridgestone Blizzak WS90 scores 61 vs 56 on treadwear.

Pick tire A You want the most comfortable ride

Bridgestone Blizzak WS90 scores 61 vs 58 on comfort.

Tire A · Bridgestone Blizzak WS90
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Tire B · Pirelli Ice Zero 2
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Blizzak WS90 or Ice Zero 2?

Which is better in the wet, Blizzak WS90 or Ice Zero 2?

Pirelli Ice Zero 2, 73 vs 67 on our wet score.

Which grips better on dry roads, Blizzak WS90 or Ice Zero 2?

Neither, by our numbers: 73 vs 72 on the dry score, within 3 points.

Which is better in snow, Blizzak WS90 or Ice Zero 2?

Neither, by our numbers: 73 vs 71 on the snow score, within 3 points.

Which is quieter, Blizzak WS90 or Ice Zero 2?

Pirelli Ice Zero 2, 66 vs 63 on our noise score.

Which is more comfortable, Blizzak WS90 or Ice Zero 2?

Bridgestone Blizzak WS90, 61 vs 58 on our comfort score.

Which lasts longer, Blizzak WS90 or Ice Zero 2?

Bridgestone Blizzak WS90, 61 vs 56 on our treadwear score.

How do we compare tires?

Every category score blends two independent signals. 60% comes from professional tire tests (braking distances, lap times, noise measurements), each result compared with every other tire in the same test and newer tests counting more. 40% comes from owner reviews found online, adjusted for how generously each site rates. Both use one scale: the average tested tire gets 70, the best 100. When a tire has only one of the two, the missing half is estimated from the other and the score stays closer to average; with no road test and fewer than five owner reviews it gets no score yet.

Handling is the exception: road tests measure it inside the dry and wet scores, so its own row comes from owner ratings only and starts as less important.

Community buzz from Reddit and forums is shown for context only — it never changes the score. Full methodology